Almaty, October 23, 2024 — Today, School-Gymnasium №5 in Almaty hosted a unique media literacy training session, gathering ninth-grade students to explore critical topics including critical thinking, fact-checking, and cybersecurity. The event aimed to equip young participants with the skills to distinguish facts from opinions, identify reliable information sources, and navigate the online environment safely.

The training opened with welcoming remarks from the school principal and MediaNet International Center for Journalism’s Media Literacy Program Director, Alyona Koshkina. Both speakers emphasized the importance of media literacy education in today’s information-driven world and commended the students for their commitment to developing critical thinking skills.

The program included interactive sessions designed to enhance students’ abilities in fact-checking, identifying fake news, and ensuring personal cybersecurity. A particularly engaging session focused on preventing cyberbullying, where students learned strategies to handle aggressive online behavior. The training concluded with a project-based activity, allowing participants to apply their new skills by developing their own media project solutions.

All participants successfully completed the program and received certificates acknowledging their level of achievement.

The event was organized by MediaNet International Center for Journalism with support from The Nippon Foundation and the Almaty Department of Education’s City Scientific and Methodological Center for New Educational Technologies.